You Love Me
by DFaraday
Summary: Charlotte's thoughts on 5x03 Jughead. Dedicated to TrueGirl. Daniel/Charlotte, AU ending.


_**TrueGirl**__, this is for you. (And Anonymous - or can I call you Ellen now? - I hope this is bit like what you suggested as well about this episode.) I really, really, enjoyed writing this, so thank you for suggesting it! I've never really written anything in this sort of style before, so I hope I did okay._

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You Love Me

_The road's still long but you came along,_

_And you hold my hand and you understand._

I drum my fingers against the table, the ropes tied tightly around my wrist rubbing against my skin at every moment. Occasionally I glance up from the table, hoping to catch your eye, but since Richard left you've tried your hardest to avoid looking at me. Maybe you regret saying it, or maybe you didn't really mean it, I don't know. You're no idiot, Faraday, far from it, and the truth or not it certainly shut the guy up. Maybe it wasn't the best thing you could have said, but I reckon you've just saved us, even if it's only for a while.

I just hope that you know what to do next.

I dig my fingernails into my palms, frustration kicking in as I realize that this is one of those rare moments when I really have no clue what to do. It's not fair, Dan – how am I suppose to know whether it's the truth or not? I should be mad at you, I _want _to be mad at you, but how can I be when I love you? I have to hold back a hiss of pain as my nail stabs through my skin at this last thought, one I'd never really let myself think before. It's true though, whether I like it or not. All I can do is hope you really do love me too.

Over all the time I've spent with you, both on the freighter and since we've been on the island, everything you've done and said can only point to the fact that you were telling the truth, but then again you were never exactly unpleasant to anybody else, so maybe that's just you, Dan. Maybe you really are just that nice and there isn't anything special between the two of us. Plus, it hasn't exactly escaped my notice that you've been looking at that young blonde girl every time she's been around since she found us in the jungle. It's like you know her, like there's something about you recognize that you can't quite place. A bit like how you look at me sometimes.

The silence is almost unbearable now, and for once I find myself almost grateful to Miles for breaking the tension.

"A hydrogen bomb? Seriously?" You sigh quietly, and I wonder if Miles irritates you as much as he does me sometimes.

"Back in the '50s, the U.S. Government tested H-bombs in the South Pacific." You explain, and I can't help but grin as you try and accompany your words with your usual emphatic gestures, the ropes binding your wrists together hindering the movements. Miles looks at you incredulously for a few seconds before replying.

"Lucky us." He says dryly. As he moves away to the tent entrance I recognize this as probably the only moment I'm going to get to talk to you about this, but now the opportunity's here my mind's gone blank. What on earth am I supposed to say? I want to tell you how I feel, but then what if you were lying? I don't want to humiliate myself. In the end I decide to give you a chance to get out of this, and all I can do is pray that you won't take it.

"You didn't have to say that." I offer, and you finally look up and meet my gaze, your expression unreadable.

"Say what?" You ask.

_Oh, come on, Dan, we both know what I'm talking about. Just give me a fucking answer, please. _

"That you loved me." I reply instead, trying to stay calm as the words cross my lips, suddenly wishing I could take them back – maybe not knowing how you feel would be better than knowing you don't love me. "I mean, there are plenty of other ways you could've convinced him you weren't gonna blow up the entire island." I continue, trying to keep my voice light and attempting a smile. If my hands weren't tied up in front of me in plain sight I'd cross my fingers, childish superstitions suddenly not as stupid as I've always considered them. You look down thoughtfully, like you're considering your words, and for a moment my heart plunges and I'm sure you're going to make an excuse, take it all back.

"I said what I said...because I meant it, Charlotte." My breath catches in my throat, and I can't stop my mouth from curling into a grin as you give me a small smile. You love me. You actually do, and now I know I can't even bring myself to reply. There are so many things that I want to say to you right now, things that I _should_ say right now, but all I can do is smile and try to hold back a sob I didn't realize was coming. For a second you look over to the door, and I realize that Miles has been watching us the whole time – not that I can bring myself to care, to be honest. Then the flap to the tent is pulled back and the young blonde comes back in, holding a rifle tightly as she shoves Miles out of the way, walking over to you. This time you don't look at her once, your eyes remaining fixed on my own, making my heart do flips in my chest.

"Right, then. Let's go." She says harshly, grabbing your bag from your feet, obviously ready to take you to this bomb everyone's going on about. She hovers over you, impatient to leave.

"Be back soon, I promise." You say sincerely before standing up and following her out, not looking away until you're out of the tent.

It's been a long time since I've cried, but I can feel tears filling my eyes now and I bring my hands up to mouth, closing my eyes for a second, rapidly trying to blink back the tears. Out of the corner of my eye I see Miles smirking, and before he can say anything I cut him off.

"Unless you want a black eye you're gonna keep your mouth shut." I say firmly, and he scowls but stays quiet, skulking in the corner. The last thing I want right now is some of Miles' oh-so witty comments.

Maybe it's only been minutes since you've gone, Daniel, but for me it feels like hours, each second you're not here passing as slowly as a lifetime. It's only now that I have time to think about it that I realize exactly what you've been taken off to do: try and fix an unsafe bomb. How is it you always manage to get involved in whatever dangerous activity's going on? I take a deep breath, feeling angry with myself now – what if something happens and I never told you how I feel? I make a bargain with myself: as long as you're okay, I'll tell you exactly how I feel as soon as I see you, no matter what else is going on. This, _us_ is more important than anything else. After what could have been five hours or five minutes the familiar bright light filters through the cracks in the tent, and for a few seconds I'm blinded by whiteness. When I open my eyes I'm not in a tent anymore, just an open field, Miles standing a few feet away.

"Charlotte!" I hear you call from some way behind me. I turn round, and the butterflies in my stomach multiply by a hundred when I see you running towards me, the concerned look on your face quickly replaced by relief. When you reach me you put a hand on my arm, the other gently touching my hair.

"You okay?" You ask, untying my hands. I nod.

"I'm fine." I reply, and before I can say anything else Miles cuts in.

"Yeah, me too. I'm great, too." If I could bring myself to look away from you I'd say something to him, but I guess this once he's going to get away with it.

When my hands are finally free I glance down, rubbing my sore wrists and smiling gratefully. You move half a pace closer, leaning forward and touching my hair gently. My eyes close for a second, reminding myself of the bargain I made earlier. I go to open my mouth, but I know inside that I'm not going to tell you now, in front of everyone. Another thought pops into my head and before I lose my nerve I lean forward and press my lips against yours. It's only a brief kiss, interrupted by an indignant outburst from Miles.

"God, get you a room, would you? Or a tent, I don't care, just get _that_ out of my face." He says with disgust, and I pull back and glare at him. He must remember my warning from earlier because he shuts up, and I look back at you, my lips curling into an amused smile at your surprised expression.

Later, when Sawyer finally manages to convince Locke to let us stop for some rest, you grab my arm and pull me off into the jungle, not stopping until we're a good distance away from everyone else, well hidden from view, not even able to hear them.

"Daniel, I—" I try to start, but I'm cut off by your lips on mine. This kiss is much more passionate than our first and Dan, if I didn't love you already I definitely do now. Your fingers curl into my hair, the other hand on my neck as your tongue teases over my lip. I open my mouth and let my tongue explore your mouth as I push up on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around your neck, my whole body pressed up against yours. You push me back slightly, and it's only when my back comes into contact with the rough trunk of a tree that I'm reminded that anything else exists in the world apart from the two of us. After a moment's hesitation I pull my hand down from your neck to your tie, fumbling to undo it.

"Char…" You say quietly, putting a hand over mine, halting my movements. You look away over my shoulder, cheeks flushing slightly. "We don't have to…just because I said—" I put my other hand on your cheek, making your brown eyes meet my blue ones.

"Daniel." I say seriously. "I love you." I kiss the corner of your mouth gently, slipping my hand down your cheek a little to weave my fingers into the hair at the nape of your neck. "I _love_ you." At your silence I lean back and look at you, a little of my confidence slipping away. "Dan?" You kiss me again, gently at first but more forcefully as you reach down and grab the edge of my top, pulling it upwards and surprising me by taking charge for once. Still I'm not about to waste this opportunity, and once I've removed the tie from around your neck I reach for the buttons on your shirt. Once we're both shirtless your hands run down my body, pausing when you reach the button of my jeans. Without breaking the kiss I reach down and undo them myself, having to pull my lips away from yours as I wriggle out of them.

"Bloody hell." I mutter as I attempt to yank them off without having to move too far away, but when I catch your eye I find myself laughing as I realize how stupid I must look. I finally stumble out of the trousers, kissing you again between laughter. After a moment I reach for your trousers, undoing the button slowly.

I'm not going to be the only one to look stupid here…"

It isn't anything like I'd imagined, on the ground in the middle of a bloody jungle, not knowing what time or day or even year it is, but it's perfect anyway, everything else in the world fading away with every second of contact between us. Afterwards we lie tangled together, tired and sweaty with my face pressed against your neck, one of your arms wrapped tightly around my waist and the other hand stroking my hair gently as I breath heavily against you, trying to bring my heartbeat back down to normal.

I wonder what happens next, whether we'll ever stop these bloody flashes that keep throwing us through time whenever the island seems to feel like it. Or what's going to happen in the imminent future, and I wince as I imagine the comments I can expect from Miles when I next see him, and what new nicknames Sawyer's going to have come up with since we've been gone.

Your heartbeat a steady constant against my cheek I realize that none of that matters, as long as I'm with you.

_When I look at you I can't believe it's true._

_You're all I ever dreamed of and you love me._

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_Thanks for reading, and please review if you liked it! Anonymous, I haven't actually seen Follow The Leader yet, but once I've watched it this evening I'll try and work on the oneshot you suggested._


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